We are delighted to welcome new author Mel Carnegie as a regular contributor to The Best You. We asked her a few questions for her first appearance, so you can get to know all about her!

The Best You: Mel, tell us a little about who you are and how you came to join us?

Mel Carnegie: I’m a leadership development specialist, motivational trainer, author, and founder of DeNA (the inside-out training programme that changes peoples’ lives for the better). I spend my days working with business leaders and their teams, helping them to be the best they can… and I absolutely love it! Like so many of us, my journey to who I’ve become has not been an easy one. From an early age I learned how to cope with adversity. My new book I’m Still Standing tells my story about overcoming adversity – not just once but many times over. My personal message is that if I can come through all that I have, then so can others.

TBY: Tell us more about your journey into Personal Development.

MC: My love affair with self-development really came in to being 16 years ago, just after my son turned one. I had just become a single mother, and was browsing in a bookshop for some inspiration when Louise L Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life quite literally fell off the shelf and on to my feet. I bought it, took it home, and devoured it in one sitting. A couple of days later I spotted an advert the size of a postage stamp at the back of a Big Issue magazine, inviting people to enrol on a course to become trainers of Louise Hay’s methodology. The course absolutely blew me away, and I came straight back home and resigned from my well-paid job in advertising. Of course my actions raised a few eyebrows, but I have never looked back. I started running weekend workshops sharing the teachings of Louise Hay and I found the experience both empowering and humbling. It was a magical time, and it was through these workshops that I discovered my love for helping others to free themselves from limitations. Within 18 months I achieved qualifications in NLP, Reiki and even as a certified fire-walking instructor!

TBY: How did you move from personal self-development into the corporate world – it’s quite a jump isn’t it?

MC: On the fire-walking instructors programme I met the man I later married… My soul mate. He was working as a trainer and coach in business, and soon after we got together we founded a leadership development company that combined both our skills and resulted in an experiential-based training approach. It quickly became successful and we attracted a number of blue-chip clients. Word spread that what we were doing was unique, fun, and most importantly, delivered outstanding long-term results. We enjoyed working in this way for many years – and many of the clients I have met over the years have become lifelong friends!

TBY: So what’s next for Mel Carnegie?

MC: Life continues to be a rollercoaster, that’s for sure. For so many years it had been a terrifying, stomach-churning ride that jolted me from one trauma to another. These days it’s a very different story. Yes, I still face challenges – and these days I am also equipped with sufficient experience and knowledge that I can choose my responses. As one of my favourite quotes so rightly states, “Life is like a rollercoaster. It has its ups and downs. But it’s your choice to scream or enjoy the ride.” My focus now is to share DeNA with as many people as possible – and my dream is to see the programme adopted in schools, so that our children are fully equipped to build a world where humanity is king, and joy is the currency.

Through my work I have been approached to feature in a movie akin to “The Secret” that is being filmed this autumn in the USA, alongside such world-famous luminaries as Brian Tracy and Don Miguel Ruiz among others. It’s a huge honour and an incredible opportunity, and I am absolutely thrilled to be involved!

Over the next few issues of The Best You, Mel will be sharing more about the five-step methodology that is DeNA, so that you can start to understand and use some of the techniques to make positive differences in your life.

About Mel Carnegie

Professionally, I work as a leadership and change development coach, helping business leaders and their teams to achieve their best potential. I love what I do with a passion, because I am driven to help others succeed, particularly through times of change and challenge.
Coaching and developing leaders and their teams has been my chosen career for the past fifteen years. I love my work with a passion. I still get a huge buzz whenever a client makes a breakthrough! Nothing gives me greater pleasure than guiding others to tap in to their inner strength, helping them to remove blocks and move forward with confidence.
How did I get here? Since early childhood I’ve dealt with a number of difficulties – the early death of both parents, emotional abuse, betrayal and abandonment. Through these experiences I instinctively learned about resilience and flexibility; how to stay balanced and focused while all about me fell apart. This is what led me to become an avid student of self-development – and ultimately to my chosen career.
Until recently, though, I kept the background part of my life private. It didn’t need to be shared. I discovered I was good at what I did, and quickly gained a solid reputation as a professional and motivational coach. Why would anyone be interested in knowing about my past and the roots of my career…?
My shock discovery in 2009 hit with such force that it nearly destroyed me. My journey since then led me to publish my first book “I’m Still Standing” in December 2012. It’s the account about overcoming adversity – not just once, but many times over. I wrote it in the hope that by sharing my story, I might be able to give others hope in times of trouble. Or just to find the courage to make changes in their life.
I count myself as one of the lucky ones, and feel deeply blessed. My beautiful son is thriving at University, I am surrounded by a wealth of wonderfully colourful friends and family. I love my work and I love my life, happily splitting my time between the UK and my home in France. I have no idea what the future holds for me – but I know that now my life has properly begun. And I’m ready!http://www.melcarnegie.com

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